I have a vampire named Killian in my story who serves as the confidant/ brother figure to my MC, half vampire Vermira. Vermira has spent her entire life raised by an extremist religious cult that wants to exterminate vampires, and uses Vermira to do so (as she’s half vampire and possesses abilities that neither the vampires nor the humans have)

I want to start my novel with Vermira and Killian already knowing each other and being apart of each other’s lives because there is nothing I hate more than reading the “omg you’re special and I’m here to make sure you reach greatness” ominous vibes however, I can’t seem to figure out why Vermira would trust and love something that she actively kills. He is like family to her and her one exception, and he’s a big part of why her loyalties begin to change in favor for the vampires.

I want her to have known him since she was a child, but I’m BLANKING on an event that would allow her to trust him. I was considering having her maybe on a vampire hunt and he saves her? This just seems really bland and basic though.

Oh wait, I misunderstood that the first time. (it’s late) The MC and the MC’s mother don’t have trust issues with each other. The MC’s mother dies in childbirth, but she trusts a vampire after another vampire in his clan killed her entire family in front of her eyes.

Quick idea, what about him technically being her creator… like he made her half vampire in order to save her life. So she already has this blood bond with him as well as a gratitude/affection since he saved her.

This also allows you to set up future conflicts between the characters because there is that blood bond and the question of why did you save me and only make me half of something? etc…

it could still be!!! just hint at it a little through the interactions, have the same event happen but she doesn’t realize he saved her; however she still has this obligation to be with him because he’s the first person she saw after like waking up or coming back to reality and helped her understand herself and powers etc.

How about having Killian randomly meeting Vermira as a child and she looks likes someone from his past like his actual little sister when he was a human. He feels protective of her because of that resemblance but later on it becomes more than she looks like my little sister. She grows up knowing that he will protect her and be there for her.

I was considering having her maybe on a vampire hunt and he saves her?

Maybe there’s this ritualistic practice where every hybrid vampire is supposed to be turned fully into a vampire with or without consent. And your MC’s brother doesn’t pay heed to such orthodox practices and decides to let her choose her own fate. But the other vampires are totally against someone to put an end to their age old rituals and decide to forcefully turn her into one. Her brother helps her escape from those vampires clutches and faces the punishment that was meant to be given to Vermira instead.

Do you need a specific and significant event to happen or just a reason for her to be close to him? Depending on Killian’s personality, he could have simply been there for her when she really needed someone, perhaps before she knew he was a vampire in the first place. From there on, they could have just naturally grown closer to each other until she trusted him.